Home › All 50 states › Louisiana
How much does a DWI (operating while impaired) cost in Louisiana?
A first DWI (operating while impaired) in Louisiana carries a statutory fine of $300–$1,000. This guide stacks every cost layer an official Louisiana source prices — the fine, court costs, the license reinstatement fee, the DWI (operating while impaired) program, ignition interlock, and the SR-22 insurance filing — and says plainly which layers no official source prices at all.
| Louisiana DWI (operating while impaired) costs at a glance | Figure |
|---|---|
| Statutory fine — first DWI (operating while impaired) | For a first offense under Louisiana R.S. 14:98.1, the fine is $300 to $1,000. If the offender's blood alcohol concentration was 0.20 or higher, the fine range narrows to $750 to $1,000. The statute text reviewed adds no separate mandatory fund surcharge to the fine. |
| Statutory fine — second DWI (operating while impaired) | The statute separates a second offense: $750–$1,000. Second offenses also carry longer suspensions and program requirements — see the sections below. |
| Court costs & fees | No single statewide court-cost figure is published in the Louisiana DWI statutes or the Office of Motor Vehicles policy reviewed. Court costs are assessed by the court in the individual case. |
| License suspension — first offense | Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles policy sets the DWI first-offense license suspension at 365 days (1 year). A first offender whose blood alcohol concentration was 0.15 or higher faces a 2-year license suspension. |
| License reinstatement fee | Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles policy lists a DWI reinstatement fee of $100 for a first offense (the fee is $200 for a second offense and $300 for a third or subsequent offense). |
| Ignition interlock | Conditional — restricted license / court order — On a first offense, the court orders that the offender not operate a motor vehicle during the probation period (which is at least 6 months when the sentence is suspended) unless the vehicle is equipped with a functioning ignition interlock device, and a restricted license is available on proof that an interlock is installed. The official pages reviewed publish no install or monthly device costs. |
| DWI (operating while impaired) education / treatment program | Where a first-offense sentence is suspended, probation conditions include completing a court-approved substance abuse program (after a screening evaluation) and a court-approved driver improvement program. The statutes reviewed publish no fee amounts for these programs. |
| SR-22 insurance filing | Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles compliance rules require proof of future financial responsibility for 3 years from the date of conviction after a DWI, which is the SR-22 filing an insurance company makes with the state. No state SR-22 filing fee is published; the cost effect comes through the insurance premium the insurer sets. |
The fine is only the first layer. Add interlock months, towing, and your insurance increase to the verified state charges in the calculator.
Open the DUI cost calculatorThe fine
For a first offense under Louisiana R.S. 14:98.1, the fine is $300 to $1,000. If the offender's blood alcohol concentration was 0.20 or higher, the fine range narrows to $750 to $1,000. The statute text reviewed adds no separate mandatory fund surcharge to the fine.
Court costs & fees
No single statewide court-cost figure is published in the Louisiana DWI statutes or the Office of Motor Vehicles policy reviewed. Court costs are assessed by the court in the individual case.
License suspension & reinstatement
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles policy sets the DWI first-offense license suspension at 365 days (1 year). A first offender whose blood alcohol concentration was 0.15 or higher faces a 2-year license suspension.
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles policy lists a DWI reinstatement fee of $100 for a first offense (the fee is $200 for a second offense and $300 for a third or subsequent offense).
The national picture — which states charge the most to reinstate — is in our license reinstatement guide.
Ignition interlock
On a first offense, the court orders that the offender not operate a motor vehicle during the probation period (which is at least 6 months when the sentence is suspended) unless the vehicle is equipped with a functioning ignition interlock device, and a restricted license is available on proof that an interlock is installed. The official pages reviewed publish no install or monthly device costs.
How interlock pricing works (installation, monthly lease, calibration, removal) is in our ignition interlock cost guide.
DWI (operating while impaired) education & treatment program
Where a first-offense sentence is suspended, probation conditions include completing a court-approved substance abuse program (after a screening evaluation) and a court-approved driver improvement program. The statutes reviewed publish no fee amounts for these programs.
SR-22 & insurance
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles compliance rules require proof of future financial responsibility for 3 years from the date of conviction after a DWI, which is the SR-22 filing an insurance company makes with the state. No state SR-22 filing fee is published; the cost effect comes through the insurance premium the insurer sets.
What an SR-22 is, which states charge a filing fee, and how long it must be carried: SR-22 cost guide.
Towing, impound & other charges
No other mandatory first-offense cost (such as a towing, impound, or fund assessment figure) was published on the official Louisiana pages reviewed.
Worked total: the verified charges stacked
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Statutory fine | $300–$1,000 |
| License reinstatement fee | $100 |
| Total of the verified state-set charges above | $400–$1,100 |
That total is deliberately incomplete: it leaves out everything no official Louisiana source prices statewide — court costs where they are set county by county, interlock lease payments to a private vendor, towing and storage, and the insurance increase that follows an SR-22. Add your own figures for those in the cost calculator.
Sources: Louisiana R.S. 14:98.1 - Operating while impaired, first offense (Louisiana Legislature) · Louisiana R.S. 14:98.2 - Operating while impaired, second offense (Louisiana Legislature) · Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles - DWI policy (Dept. of Public Safety). Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court and the driver-licensing agency.
Other state guides
Texas · California · Florida · New York · Illinois · Pennsylvania · All 50 states